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March 8, 2007
Not Following My Own Advice
Quoted from my own blog, on March 2nd:
"Spring really is just around the corner... Soon, Yellowstone's black and grizzly bear populations will be waking from their winter-time slumbers. They emerge from their dens just as the snow begins to melt to feed on winter kills. Winter kills are the animals (mostly elk) that don't survive the harsh winter conditions. Typically, they die and are frozen into the snow untouched. When the spring melt begins and the winter kills begin to thaw, it's like a bear buffet of fresh meat, a perfect way to fatten up after hibernating for 6+ months. Resultingly, I'll shortly have to exercise more caution with reference to training in their home territories, lest I not become a member of the aforementioned bear buffet..."
Let me preface the rest of this entry with the following: I should have heeded my own advice (You know, that whole "exercising caution" thing.), and from now on, I definitely will.
When I left the house, the weather was a bit iffy. The wind was blowing and pushing through some intermittent snow/rain/sleet showers that briefly doused warm earth and created rising blankets of steam just above the ground. By the time I parked at the trailhead a bit later, the sun was burning through those fast-moving clouds and the weather was discernably improving. I dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and running tights (and tied a rain jacket around my waist in case the nasty weather returned). I donned two hand water bottles and set out. I had no specific time, distance, or destination in mind. I just wanted to run freely out on the trail. I stuck my cell phone into my pocket, and joked with my sweetie as I drove to the trailhead that I would use it to call him if I was being chased by a grizzly. I didn't bring bear spray; more specifically, I never even thought about bringing along bear spray.
After 49 glorious minutes, I was entirely absorbed in looking down at the Yellowstone River below me and the canyon walls above me to notice the trail in front of me. Suddenly, I came to a screeching halt in front of a winter kill deer carcass, freshly chewed upon and sufficiently odiferous. When in Yellowstone, one nevereverever stands in proximity to a fresh carcass because where there is meat, there are meat eaters. However, in my amazement, I just stood there looking at the thing. I even managed to stick my toe into the mess just to see what the inside of its rib cage looked like. Then, then, then I finally realized what I was doing, yelled a profanity of sorts, and moved quickly back in the direction I came from. I made lots of noise and walked until I was safely around the corner and out of sight.
It was not my own skill or cautious movements that kept me safe today. It was just pure, random luck that the owner of the carcass, a bear of some sort, wasn't around to proudly defend its food source from my unsuspecting and inattentive self.
What you should do when running in bear habitat:
1. Run with at least one other person.
2. Make noise to announce your presence in hilly, wooded, or other low visibility areas.
3. Pay close attention to your surroundings. Continuously scan the surrounding terrain, including the trail in front of you as far as you can see.
4. Don't go anywhere near freshly mangled carcasses.
5. Carry bear spray; keep it accessible; know how to use it.
Boo. Bad me. Don't do what I did. I'm going to do much better next time.
Posted by Meghan at March 8, 2007 10:35 PM
Comments
...your blog of late requires a heart rate monitor to read it... it is like, the cardio training just keeps on going, even as you read...
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at March 9, 2007 9:28 AM
Holly Crap! I can't believe you stood there! I can't believe you were able to run back and not collapse from fear (that would be me)!
Follow your own advice!!!
BTW, what do you do if one does come across a bear? A cougar? Is it stay big and talk loud? Look into the eyes or don't? Run away or slowly back off?
You can say I am petrified...
Posted by: olga at March 9, 2007 10:08 AM
Holy moly! You were lucky today. I was so nervous last spring when Eric and I were running trails in Alaska. Especially the trailhead that had a sign that said "right fork closed due to fresh moose kill". I wanted to get back in the car, but Eric talked me into the left fork. Then, after we were out there a ways, he told me he wasn't worried because if we saw a bear, he just needed to be faster than me...
Posted by: backofpack at March 9, 2007 11:06 AM
Gad-zooks! I want know if you ran negative splits on your out and back to the bear buffet! Glad that you didn't become an appetizer for Yogi or Boo Boo.
Thank you for reminding us how important it is to know the area you are running in and taking the appropriate precautions. Sorry you had to be so abruptly reminded yourself. We don’t want to be reading about you in the national news so be careful!
Posted by: Eric at March 9, 2007 1:50 PM
Yikes! That sounds like something I would do.
Posted by: JeffO at March 9, 2007 2:29 PM